No fewer than five people were killed early Monday morning as unknown gunmen attacked farmers in Kassa village of Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria, killing three people while two of the attackers were killed by security personnel in a gun battle.
According to the media officer of the Special Task Force (STF), Captain Salisu Mustapha, members of the task force moved to the scene in response to distress call by the villagers and the attackers on sighting the troops opened fire.
The gun duel which ensued between the attackers and the military personnel resulted to the killing of two of the attackers while four others were injured and arrested and in the process the military recovered three AK 47 rifles, one locally made rifle, 45 rounds of 7.62mm special and 31 cartridges.
Prior to the Monday attack, some cows while grazing were attacked at Kassa area of Ropp district in the same Barkin Ladi local government area in which six of the cows were killed and three injured while two suspects were arrested in connection to the incident.
There was also a similar attack on Kubel village in the same local government area as seventeen cows were killed, nine wounded and five were declared missing while preliminary investigations by security personnel led to the arrest of three suspects currently been investigated.
With the incessant attacks in the villages becoming rampant in spite of the concerted efforts of the task force towards maintaining peace in the state, the security operatives has declared that any individual or group of persons bent in fomenting trouble with the sole aim of truncating peace in the state have made themselves enemies of peace and will be treated as such.